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They say a picture paints a thousand words, but when it comes to books full of well-intentioned words, anyone who knows me well will tell you about my aversion to reading fiction.

It’s probably a hang back from school days when we were expected to read a certain number of fiction books during the holidays and the resulting detentions when you couldn’t answer questions on them once term had restarted.

I can confidently say that the last fiction I read was the third Harry Potter book, which I read to my younger daughter at bed-time.

Now I happen to believe that, being a commercial photographer it is essential to know about the product I’m photographing and on this occasion, who, I’m working with.

MacKenzie Smith on the sofa

Establishing a comfortable relationship with them is vital, if you really want to achieve the best and most relaxed photographs and of course building that essential ingredient – the magic of rapport.

To this end and in the interest of research, I decided I must put my prejudice about fiction aside and find out what this book is all about, so I began reading the first chapter, which was included in my brief.

After the first few sentences my imagination was sparked by the visual and sometimes graphic descriptions which appeal to my rather right-brained mind and I soon found myself abruptly halted by the end of the chapter and wanting to know more. So much so, that even without meeting the client, I have ‘liked’ the book on Amazon and pre-ordered it ahead of the September launch.

When I eventually met Mackenzie, it was obvious that he was going to make a great subject, but like so many people before him, he didn’t feel particularly comfortable being photographed and while he is destined to become a much photographed best-selling author, for now it was all new to him.

MacKenzie starting to enjoy himself

The greatest secrets of getting good pictures of anyone is not to be rushed, Nigel had allowed plenty of time to get these pictures, and also to try and take them in their own environment, whether it’s their office or home, these really are key.

My technique is simple, I get my subject to talk to me, while I fire off pictures, inevitably, there will be some bizarre expressions, which you can sometimes share with the client before deleting, although this can be risky as they may react badly and destroy their confidence.

After about half an hour the whole atmosphere changed, relaxation took over and the pictures improved. The plan had been to do some indoor shots and then try and get some exterior shots by the local river but when we arrived at Mackenzie’s office, it had been pouring with rain.

Now fully relaxed

The sky having cleared, we had the opportunity to start some outside pictures, and that heralded an almost Eureka moment; where he had been hesitant about the camera, suddenly, both Nigel and I noticed a change, Mackenzie was starting to enjoy being photographed and even stopped talking to pose, which ended the session with some really great shots which he has started to share on the Facebook page for Who Pays the Piper – you can also follow Mackenzie Smith on Twitter via @MSmith_Author.

The British have always been at the forefront of invention, this ingenuity, fascination and curiosity that drives so many designers, engineers and craftsmen to take the challenge of trying to provide an answer to a problem by producing an invention is unique.

One such inventor is Rob Chicken of Combe Products in Hungerford,West Berkshire.

A keen yachtsman, Rob noticed a need that single handed or night-time sailors had, to enable them to control the boat when they couldn’t man the helm constantly.

Although there are already systems available they rely on electronics, which need battery power and the greater the needed for the device the more power it uses. Consequently, in bad weather the importance of navigation lights and other essential electrical resources can be compromised by using this automatic steering system.

As a trained engineer, Rob devised a mechanical answer to the problem, which not only addressed the need but produced a far more responsive solution.

After working on the initial designs he produced full working plans and began the tortuous route required to protect his intellectual

Final Adjustments

property rights and ensure the design was covered by the necessary patents, registrations and trademarks. Eventually a working prototype was created and after much testing and development, Rob started putting together a group of fabricators who would produce the final product.

With a finished demonstration unit and having registered the name “The Steersman”, Rob started to consider how to market this invention and at this point I became involved in his enterprise.

As a commercial photographer from Newbury, just up the road from Rob’s base in Hungerford he asked me to go and spend a day photographing “The Steersman” being assembled on his 30 foot yacht “Justine” and to take some pictures to be used in a yachting magazine advert, timed to appear at the Southampton Boat Show in September, where he will be manning a stand.

Fortunately, the weather on the river Hamble was kind and we managed to get some great pictures including some useful stock shots for my own personal library.

For any inventor producing something novel, one of the greatest problems is communicating how it works and what it looks like, this can be a massive challenge and the skill of a photographer will often be essential in doing this.

The importance of getting good clear photographs of a product should never be underestimated and using a specialist in this type of commercial photography is a worthwhile investment.

Rob Chicken

While we were shooting, I also convinced Rob of the importance of having a good corporate portrait or headshot, to accompany any press releases he may send out and with any editorial space he may be given. This would also be invaluable for the increasingly essential social media networking that businesses are becoming involved with and of course the ever important website.

If you are an inventor building a good relationship with a commercial photographer can be invaluable in getting your idea promoted.

With acquisition costs for new customers being one of the greatest expenditures for any business, finding a way to reduce these, is always welcome.

As Nigel frequently emphasises, “people buy people” and this is where social media is such a powerful tool.

Being a commercial photographer from Newbury, meeting local people face to face is important, so when I physically go networking, as I work the room, people frequently comment that they know me or, that they recognise me, even when it is very unlikely that we’ve met before.

It soon becomes clear that they know my face and often my name, and that can be directly attributed to one thing, my social media profile picture.

Once you recognise someone and can relate to them, you have begun the essential journey, called “building rapport”.

By this simple visual identification you have immediately overcome one of the greatest barriers to communicating with new people and can take advantage of this step on the ladder to getting to know more about the other person and conversationally introduce your business to them.

I believe your social media profile picture is vital in the way you present yourself on the various social media platforms, but it’s also essential that this image is congruent with your message; does the picture you use on Twitter really fit with the professional persona you present on Linkedin.

This is why I seriously advocate having different pictures for the various applications and having professional photographs taken can really enhance your business image.

The other important vehicle for promoting your business using the internet is by ‘blogging’ and Nigel explained how this can dramatically improve your website’s Google ranking when done regularly.

Blogging is just like publishing your own press releases, with the single most important difference that you are guaranteed publication. With clever support from your social media activities, your message can achieve far greater coverage than any traditional paper publication and if you happen to create a blog that captures the imagination of enough people it can become a massive viral entity, carrying your message beyond your wildest dreams.

The 50 people who joined me at Nigel’s presentation will have left with many stimulating thoughts and some significant calls to action and I look forward to many more social media followers and the opportunity to read some exciting new blog posts.

I’d be a wealthy man if I had a pound for everyone I’ve photographed who started the session by saying, “I hate having my photograph taken”, or “the camera doesn’t love me” or just, “I’m not photogenic”.

As a commercial photographer in Newbury, West Berkshire, the majority of my business clients come from the ‘baby boomer’ generation. How they see having a photograph taken is dramatically different from that of our social media ‘savvy’ children, who snap everything and everybody with mobile devices, point and click cameras and video cams.

The acceptance of being photographed, by these young people, probably stems from the totally different mindset about confidentiality and privacy created by social media, with many of them sharing images and detail far beyond the comfort zone of their parents.

Many of my clients come from the coaching and personal development professions where a “glass half full” attitude is actively encouraged, yet they are frequently incredibly negative about the prospect of being photographed and how good they look in pictures.

In an attempt to reassure them I tell them to look in any newspaper or magazine where the journalist wants to put a negative spin on a personality, even the most glamorous and photogenic celebrities can be caught in an unflattering pose, and don’t forget the hundreds of out-take pictures that never see the light of day after a photo session.

I also tell them that to achieve a good comfortably relaxed image, the photographer needs to establish rapport with the subject, and this can’t be done in an instant. One of the biggest factors in getting a good portrait is to put them at ease and the simplest way to do that is by talking to them, so they engage with the person, not the camera.

Any photographer who relies on snapping people as a means to make a living must accept the challenge issued by these reluctant subjects and soothe their concerns with reassurance and quite often, empathy – I know a lot of photographers who hate being on the other side of the camera.

Why do we have this inherent fear of being photographed? There seems to be no scientific word to describe it – the closest I’ve seen to give it a name is, “photographobia” which would seem to be a reasonable attempt at an identity.

Across the globe there are many religions and cultures that for various reasons will not permit their members being photographed, not for fear, but because of the fundamental belief that their soul will be damaged or stolen.

The genuine, but irrational fear of being photographed is far more significant in this age of email, the internet and the social networking explosion that the digital youth have enthusiastically embraced, especially with the reliance on ‘photo ID’ in so many aspects of our lives.

For those who just ‘dislike’ having their photograph taken, I suggest it’s the same emotional disbelief we feel on hearing our recorded voice played back the first time?

Seeing a picture of you, as others see you, appears unnatural and the experience can be a shock and may be a key factor in the discomfort you experience in front of the camera.

We’re all used to seeing our reflection in a mirror but it’s only when we’re photographed or filmed that we see the image that everyone else sees, I believe this is the main reason for us not liking photographs of ourselves.

Seeing your face in the mirror every day, when applying make-up or shaving, it’s familiar to you – it’s the face you ‘know’, so well.

When you see this, stranger looking back at you in the form of a photograph your expectations become confused and because of our inherent dislike for change, the person in front of you becomes an unacceptable substitute for the real you.

Maybe we as photographers, should be presenting the pictures we take in mirror image?

Overcoming the reluctance of such a large number of people to embrace the benefits of a really good photographic portrait is any photographer’s greatest challenge. It requires the eye and composition of an artist as well as an understanding of facial anatomy, but most of all the need for patience to establish the most important relationship, rapport.

If you or someone you know is nervous or anxious about having their picture taken, make sure you find a photographer you are comfortable with and believe that there really is a good picture in everyone.